Man Charged With Posing As Druggist

July 18, 1992|By KIM MARGOLIS, Staff Writer

CORAL SPRINGS -- A man who posed as a druggist at local stores for a year and a half has been charged with practicing pharmacy without a license.

Mahmoud Eldick, 32, of the 11000 block of West Atlantic Boulevard, was charged with two felony counts in connection with dispensing drugs at Freddy`s Pharmacy and the Xtra pharmacy in Lauderdale Lakes, Broward Sheriff`s Office spokesman George Crolius said.

Eldick`s arrest came after deputies investigated a complaint about $35,000 in missing pharmaceuticals from Freddy`s, Crolius said.

Eldick was not suspected or accused of stealing the drugs.

However, during routine background checks of employees, investigators found that Eldick used false documents to obtain a Florida pharmacist`s license, Crolius said.

Further investigation by deputies, the state Department of Professional Regulation and the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services revealed that Eldick had attended the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy by using false documents.

He did not graduate.

Eldick also used aliases to take the Florida Board of Pharmacy exam six times, investigators found. He never passed it.

Crolius said no one has complained about defective drugs or ill effects from drugs obtained from Eldick.

``Apparently, Mr. Eldick did have skill in the area of dispensing pharmaceuticals, but he was never properly licensed,`` Crolius said.

Eldick was booked into the Broward County Jail and bail was set at $20,000.